Bottom lifting and equalizing mechanism for road graders



Aug. 7, 192s. 1,679,394 F. E. ARNDT BOTTOM LIFTING AND EQUALIZING MECHANISM FOR ROAD GRADERS Patented Aug- 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATrlrVrl OFFICE.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GALION IRON WORKS & MFG. CO., OF GALION, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO.

BOTTOM LIFTING- AND EQUALIZING MECHANISM FOR- ROAD GRADERS,

Application led October 25, 1927. Serial No. 228,673.

This invention comprehends certain new and `useful improvements in road grading machines, and relates especially to certain improvements in the bottom lifting and equalizing mechanism such as I have disclosed in my previous Patent No. 1,551,629, dated September 1, 1925.

In the patent above mentioned, as will more fully appear by a reference tothe specifications, claims, and drawings thereof, means are provided for equalizing the heavy vweight of the circle and mold board whereby the operation of tilting the mold board with one end lower thank the other, or of bodily lifting the mold` board to an elevated position, is made easy,-this patented construction comprising a supporting frame, a bottom, i. e., draw bars, circle, and mold board, and means on the supporting frame under the easy control of the operator for vertically moving the bottom,

springs being provided to counterbalance and exert a lifting force upon the grader bottom, and the parts -being so constructed cially the arrangement of the parts of 4this patented bottom lifting and equalizing mechanism above identified, and more especially to so arrange the parts that they will in no wise interfere with the vision of the operator in watching the Work as it progresses and in keeping his machine under perfect control.

Withthese and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as lthe description proceeds, reference 1s to be had to the following description and accompanying drawe ingsyin which Figure l is a side elevation ofso much of a road grading machine as is necessary to illustrate the present invention, parts being. shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of parts in section in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the sectors 28 as hereinafter referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated only such portions of aroad grader as will be necessary to enable those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to understand the present invention, and in the drawings, the numeral l0 designates the main arched frame bars of the grader, 11 one of the draw bars, l2 the circle as it is called, and 13 the mold board or scraper, these parts 11,12, and 13, and their concomitant parts constituting what ispherein referred to as the bottom of the`machine which is designed to be raised and lowered by the lifting and equalizing mechanism of the present invention.

Carried by the frame bars 10 of the grader are bearing brackets 14: extending laterallyin opposite directions, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, and constituting forward bearings forl they longitudinally extending lift shafts 15 which` extend parallel to the frame bars'lO and are provided at their forward ends with crank arms 16 which are pivotally connected with the bottom by means of vertically` disposed links 17, as shown.` The rear ends of the lift shafts 15 have mounted thereon worm gears 18 meshing with worms 2() on shafts 21 that are provided with the usual hand wheels 22 in convenient proximityto the operators station or platform23 at or near the rear of the grader. f

Intermediate their ends the lift shafts l5 are .provided with beveled gears 24 which mesh with corresponding gears 25 on transversely extending shafts 26, said Vshafts 26 `being suitably supported by means of bearing brackets 27. V

The `shafts y26 are mounted forindependent movement, as'of course are the lift shafts lwhich operate them, and each shaft 26 has secured to it an approximately sectorshaped member 28 which is preferably provided with a groove 29 in its edge face. These members 2S constitute weight equalizers, and it will be seen that each member, as in the. construction of my former Patent No. 1,551,629, hereinbefore mentioned, coniprises a radially extending arm 30, and that the sector-shaped portion of the member starts from a point relatively adjacent the center of motion of the member, extends out tangentially to a circle concentric to the cen ter of motion, as at 31, and then extends at an angle, this portion 32 being in turn tangential to a circle concentric to the center of motion and then extends approximately fil) concentrically, as at 33, to said center of motion and joins the extremity of the arm.

Pivotally connected or shackled to the eye 34 in the extremity of the arm 30, is a chain 35 or other flexible element, said chain extending longitudinally forward from the sector-shaped member, as shown, and being suitably connected at its forward end to an equalizing spring 36 which may be either a compression spring or an expansion spring, or a. plurality of sections of expansion springs, so long as it exerts a pull upon the chain 35 in a direction to swing the sector-shaped member 9.8 in a direction to turn its corresponding shaft Q6, and the corresponding lift shaft 15, through the instrumentality of the beveled gears 2l and 25 to exert a lifting force upon the corresponding crank arm 1G, the links 17, aiid the bottom or that portion of the bottom to which the corresponding links are connected. The forward end of each spring 3G is Connected by means of a shackle or tie-bolt 37 to a transversely extending bar 38 suitably supported upon the frame bars 10, the bolts 37 being preferably eye-bolts as shown, and being held adjustably in position by means of nuts 39. Preferably the springs are encased in tubular housings or sleeves 40.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that in the operation of lifting or lowering the bottom the operator on the platform 23 will turn one or both of the hand wheels 2.2 in the required direction as desired, which will result in turning the shaftor shafts 15 and raising or lowering the crank arm 1G according as it is desired to raise or lower either or both sides or ends of the mold board.

In the rotation of the shaft kor shafts 15, it is obvious that by means of the intermeshing beveled pinions 24 and 25, the corresponding shaft or shafts 2G will also be turned, the sector-shaped members 2S being moved to increase the tension upon the springs 36, or to allow that tension to relax.

It is to be particularly noted, as brought out more in detail in connection with my former Patent No. 1,551,629, that in this movement of the parts, when the springs relax in their tension, the leverage increases, and when the tension upon the springs in creases, the leverage decreases whereby the weight of the parts to be lifted is equalized at all times in all positions ofthe, lifted member or bottom, and there is no sudden lifting and then a very great strain on the mechanism. the lift being gradual because as the work to be done increases the action of the spring increases.

lVith the ordinary grader, especially of the heavy duty type, it takes considerable effort to lift the blade and its attached parts, but with this spring lift and evener or equalizer, the hand wheels 22 may be operated very readily in either direction at increased speed and with much greater ease.

lVhat is claimed, is: Y

1. In a road grader, a supporting frame work, a bottom, equalizing mechanism for raising said bottom and permitting the same to lower, said mechanism comprising lon itudinally extending lift shafts supported )y the framework and o eratively connected to the bottom, indepen ently movable transverse shafts mounted on the framework and having beveled gear connections with the first named shafts, springs extending longitudinally of the framework, and connections between the second named shafts and said springs adapted Ato equalize the lifting force exerted by said springs in all positions of the bottom.

2. In a road grader, a supporting framework, a bottom, and a lifting mechanism for the bottom, said lifting mechanism comprising longitudinally extending shafts supported by the framework and operatively connected to the bottom, transverse shafts also supported by the framework between the first named shafts and operatively connected to the first named shafts to turn therewith, springs extending longitudinally of the framework, cables connected at one end to said springs, and sector-shaped members carried by the second named shafts and connected to the other ends of said cables respectively, said sector-shaped members being designed to have the cables partially wind thereon when the second named shafts are turned, and of such shape that they will equalize the lifting force exerted by the springs in all positions of the bottom.

3. In a road grader, a supporting framework, a bottom, and a lifting mechanism for the bottom, said lifting mechanism including a cross-bar secured to the framework, longitudinally disposed springs connected at one end to said cross-bar, czililes connected to the other ends of said springs, sectorshaped members upon which said cables are adapted to partially wind, transverse shafts supported by the framework and carrying v with the rst named beveled gears respectivel said second named shafts being provide at their forward ends with crank arms operatively connected to the bottom, and Vmanually operable means at the rear ends of the second named shafts for rotating the 1 latter.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT. f 

